There has been a significant increase in cybercrime as over the past seven years, more than 500,000 complaints of digital theft and online fraud have been reported. The number of perpetrators brought to justice remains alarmingly low, highlighting the need for more effective measures to combat this growing threat. From 2016 to 2023, consumers have filed over 500,000 complaints of online fraud and digital theft. Legal actions were taken against 5,953 individuals, but only 916 were prosecuted. Fraudsters often use messages claiming eligibility for the Benazir Income Support Program or notifications about ATM card blocks to deceive victims. Another prevalent scam involves obtaining victims' PIN codes by pretending to transfer money via mobile banking mistakenly. Over 100,000 complaints related to such frauds were filed with the FIA Cybercrime Wing between 2016 and 2023. Legal action was taken in 5,953 cases, resulting in only 316 convictions.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan